• Dim Sum Dos and Don'ts

    By | Shine Food – Tue, Jan 29, 2013 12:24 PM EST

    When dining in a Chinese dim sum parlor, there's a right way, and there's a wrong way
    by Siobhan Adcock and Genevieve Tsai, Epicurious

    Clockwise from left: a table of dim sum dishes, pork buns, and deep-fried shrimp wrapped in bacon.Clockwise from left: a table of dim sum dishes, pork buns, and deep-fried shrimp wrapped in bacon.You could say dim sum is basically a snack served with tea…but that's like saying Times Square is basically an intersection, or the Rockies are basically a pile of dirt. Visit a busy dim sum restaurant in your local Chinatown on a Saturday, and you'll discover that this "snack" is foodie theater at its most enjoyable: a parade of metal carts trailing exquisite aromas, fragrant teapots steaming and lids clanging, patrons calling for their favorites, meal tickets being rubber-stamped in exchange for dishes, and the sound of the happiest question on earth (or one of them): "No one wants that last dumpling? Seriously?"

    Dim sum is also called yum cha, which means "drink tea" in Cantonese, or dian xin in Mandarin (the direct translation: "touch the heart"). The meal is sort of like tapas on wheels: a savory and sweet variety of Cantonese dumplings, buns,

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  • Danny Abrams and Sandy Ingber present the essentials of buying, preparing, and enjoying the pearls of the sea
    by Carolina Santos-Neves and Kemp Minifie, Epicurious

    Oyster varieties: (1) Totten Inlet Virginica (2) Royal Miyagi (3) Pemaquid (4) Montauk Pearl (5) Martha's Vineyard (6) Kumamoto (7) Blue Point (8) BelonOyster varieties: (1) Totten Inlet Virginica (2) Royal Miyagi (3) Pemaquid (4) Montauk Pearl (5) Martha's Vineyard (6) Kumamoto (7) Blue Point (8) Belon Welcome to Oysters 101: Everything you need to know about one of the ocean's tastiest bivalves. You can roast, bake, fry, or broil them, but slurping oysters fresh from the sea is the best way to enjoy them at their peak freshness. For expert advice, we consulted two authorities on the subject: executive chef Sandy Ingber (a.k.a. the "Bishop of Bivalves") of the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant and Danny Abrams, owner of the Mermaid Oyster Bar, both of New York City. Abrams is the creator of the Oysterpedia app, and Ingber is coauthoring, with Roy Finamore, The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes and Tales From a Classic American Restaurant, due from Stewart, Tabori & Chang this summer in celebration of the Oyster Bar's centennial. Read on to learn everything you've always wanted to know about

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  • Photo by Christina HolmesPhoto by Christina HolmesBy Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appétit

    Nachos may flourish in sports bars alongside jalapeño poppers and chicken tenders, but I give them the consideration of a four-star meal. You can't just dump chips and cheese together and expect crunchy-melty-salty-spicy excellence. After years of experimenting for my annual nacho party (held during one very big football game), I've landed on a few rules for each component.

    Read More: 25 Ways to Use Sriracha

    The Five Keys To Reaching Nacho Nirvana

    THE CHIP
    The ideal specimen is medium-thick. Greasy, thin versions--like the ones some restaurants fry in-house--won't hold up here. I'm into Tostitos Simply Natural chips.

    THE CHEESE
    Liquid cheese, the kind that comes in a side compartment at the concession stand, tastes like candle wax. Gruyere? Save it for grilled cheese. I go for a blend of sharp yellow cheddar and Monterey Jack; they melt well and aren't overpowering.

    THE MEAT
    You want shredded or pulled meat for easy building and eating. Pork is my

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  • By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

    Temperatures plunged so low last week that frozen ATMs reportedly held cash hostage in New York and fire hoses transformed a flaming Chicago warehouse into an ice palace. One antidote for those still enveloped by bitter cold weather: sweet hot cocoa. Not too sweet, mind you -- more chocolaty than sugary, with a nice, creamy texture. Cheapism.com assembled a tasting panel in the hope of finding just such a concoction in a bargain-priced package. Here's how three popular powdered mixes ranked in a blind taste test.

    Bundle up with a cup of hot chocolate.

    Related: Inexpensive coffee makers

    • Swiss Miss Classics Milk Chocolate (starting at 17 cents per serving) emerged the winner in this tasting. The aroma filled several panelists with nostalgia and the resulting cocoa was luscious and chocolaty without being overbearing. Consumers reviewing this hot cocoa online generally draw similar conclusions, although some take issue with the use of artificial sweeteners.
    • Ghirardelli
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  • This January, I've found myself running around like crazy, tossing something snappy-quick on the table for dinner, and generally feeling like a I need a hunk of chocolate to soothe my crazy schedule. If your month was as busy as mine, these 10 dessert recipes are just what you're looking for! Mouthwatering and delicious, they can be made in the microwave in minutes! Just stir, zap, and you're this close to having a homemade dessert, straight from your microwave! - By Brooke McLay



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  • For those of us with food allergies, the holidays can be stressful and frustrating and leave you feeling, well, left out. When everyone else is chowing down on cookies and cupcakes and goodies aplenty, those of us with food allergies are left wondering what we can eat and where we can fit in. And for those of us with kids with food allergies, we feel the weight doubled as we don't want them to miss out on any of life's joys. I rounded up 7 great recipes and ideas for Valentine's Day treats for kids with a wheat allergy. These look and taste so delicious that they are sure to be enjoyed by everyone, whether they have a gluten allergy or not. - By Becka Robinson



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  • 10-Minute Dinners

    By | Shine Food – Mon, Jan 28, 2013 1:19 PM EST

    Jonathon KambourisJonathon KambourisJennifer Iserloh, SELF magazine

    You can whip up these slimming meals in a blink and shed pounds almost as fast. Almost.

    SALMON WITH AVOCADO-ORANGE SALSA: Salmon's omega-3 fatty acids may rev fat burn during workouts and help maintain calorie-torching muscle.

    Ingredients:
    • 2 oranges
    • 2 Hass avocados, cubed
    • 1/4 cup diced red onion
    • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (packed)
    • 4 3-oz skinless wild salmon fillets
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
    • 4 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
    • 8 cups baby spinach
    • 2 cups thinly sliced carrots

    Preparation: Heat oven to 450°. Peel and section 2 oranges over a bowl; place sections in bowl and squeeze juice from any pulp still attached to the rind. Add 2 cubed Hass avocados, 1/4 cup diced red onion and 1/4 cup packed cilantro, chopped; toss well. On each of four 12" x 12" sheets of aluminum foil, place one 3-oz skinless wild salmon fillet; top with 1/8 tsp salt and 1 tsp olive oil. Fold foil edges to seal; place foil packets on a baking sheet. Cook

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  • No matter who wins the Super Bowl, we all know the real touchdowns will be on the snacking menu. But who has time or energy to fuss around in the kitchen when real attention should be paid to the game? Our easy recipe for Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings saves the day. These sweet, tangy, perfectly sticky chicken wings are a cinch to prepare for a crowd -- and are decidedly hands-off.

    WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
    Perfect sticky wings are moist and lacquered with a slightly thick, sweet yet tangy sauce -- the stickier and messier, the better. First, we coated the chicken with a pungent mix of dark brown sugar, soy sauce, and aromatics and let it cook for about 4 hours until tender. Meanwhile, we made an easy sauce with tomato paste, soy sauce, and more sugar and cayenne. We knew these wings would need some time under the broiler to become charred and crisp, and this sauce provided just the right finishing touch. This recipe can easily be doubled for a crowd, but you will need to broil the

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  • PROTOLEAF: Potato starch and dirt soupTokyo has a well-deserved reputation for high-end dining but one restaurant is making headlines for a menu that's less hoity-toity and more down and dirty.

    A French establishment named Ne Quittez Pas (“Please don’t leave”) is serving a ‘dirt course’, according to Japanese Rocket News, a website that sampled the menu. For $110 you can eat the stuff you scrub off your sneakers and pry from your kid's mouth on the playground. Ne Quittez Pas' menu includes a potato starch and dirt soup, salad with dirt dressing, aspic made with oriental clams and a top layer of sediment, a dirt risotto with sauteed sea bass, dirt gratin, and dirt ice cream. According to the Rocket News investigation, despite appearing, well, dirty, none of the dishes actually tasted like dirt and were described as "delicious" and "divine." They also reported that the dirt contains coffee grinds and palm fiber.

    More on Yahoo! Shine: Try These 3 Traditional British Restaurants in London

    "The dirt is called Kuro Tsuchi

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  • By Kelsey Miller, Photographed by by Amelia Alpaugh, Refinery29



    We'll give up a lot in the name of a healthy diet: gluten, dairy, the whole brunch menu. But there's one thing that's absolutely non-negotiable - dessert. That, you'll have to pry from our cold, chocolate-covered hands.



    Related: How Healthy Is Your Diet, Really?



    Fortunately, it won't come to that. Because we dreamed up recipes for three fantastically healthy desserts. Before you roll your eyes, thinking this is another put-grapes-in-the-freezer piece, hear us out. Chocolate mousse. Ice cream. A fresh-baked crumbly crisp. Do we have your attention? Grab a spoon, and dig in.



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